WORLD AGING AND FUTURE OF SPINE CARE

Subject overview

The World Health Organization estimated that the number and proportion of people aged 60 years and older in the population is increasing worldwide. In 2019, the number of people aged 60 years and older was 1 billion. This number will increase to 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050. This increase is occurring at an unprecedented pace and will accelerate in the coming several decades, particularly in developing countries.

Every person in any nationals should have the opportunity to live a long independently with healthy life. Spine disorders, especially in the aging population, is recognized as one of the major leading causes of the disability that shortens the healthy life expectancy of the aged population significantly. In the near future, the burden of spine disorders in such population will dramatically increase not only to each individual but also to governments and societies.  In order to take possible measures to prolong the healthy life expectancy in the aged population, law makers need to be aware of this urgent threat to the human being and should establish strategies to remedy this unprecedented situation

Symposium Objective

The aim of this symposia could be divided into three divisions.

1. To highlight problems of future of spine care in the aging world from individual and societal perspective.

2. To clarify burdens of future of spine care in the aging world from health-care system perspective

3. To propose sustainable solutions for future of spine care in the aging world.

Topics Highlights

1. Better spine care environment and lengthy healthy life expectancy
2. Comprehensive medical management for the elderly with spinal malalignment
3. Sustainability of spine care in limited budgets and resources
4. Utility of a national medical database(registry) for creating strategies to prolong healthy life expectancy